


Biting Cold

by BFHwantsblood, Olivier_Mira



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Ghosts, Hurt/Comfort, Levitation, Luther Hargreeves Being an Asshole, Panic Attacks, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Sober Klaus Hargreeves, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-31
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2020-07-29 00:03:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20072815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BFHwantsblood/pseuds/BFHwantsblood, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Olivier_Mira/pseuds/Olivier_Mira
Summary: Klaus is shocked at what he's hearing. They have been back here less than two weeks. Just two weeks and after years of hearing his family make comments about his drug habit, he never thought he would ever hear those words leave his family's lips."Sorry, did you just ask me to get high?”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ghost/fragment talk, only Klaus can hear them:'Klaus'  
Volume on ghost talk:  
Background noise: 'Klaus.'  
Talking: 'KLAUS.'  
Shouting: '**KLAUS!**'  
Drowning out all other noise: **KLAUS! **  

> 
> Apologies if anything to do with food reads awkwardly. I have food issues. (BFH)

He regrets letting out a groan before he even really starts. His throat feels like sandpaper or like it does when he's been screaming too long and it has a distant familiarity to it. He's lying on a hard surface. Not that that's not uncommon: he has a habit of waking up on floors or in alleyways when he's been high, drunk or a mixture of the two. It's the growing whispers that bring it all together, the screams of his name that grow louder with his every heartbeat. 

His eyes snap open and at once he wished they hadn't. All around him are fragments of ghosts and there is nothing remotely human about them. Rather they're like rabid dogs, out to get everything in sight, too long gone, no thoughts left.

'**KLAUS!** **KLAUS!** **KLAUS!** **KLAUS!****'**

They enclose him and he can feel their fingers pass through his arms, leaving a chill behind as they try to claw at him. They scream and it only grows louder, screeching his name. He wished they didn't know it.  
  
"Go away!” he shouts, knowing it will be futile and all it will accomplish is making his throat throb.  
  
Klaus curls up, hands covering his ears, wishing more than ever that he was high and preferably out of this place.

'**KLAUS!** **KLAUS!** **KLAUS!** **KLAUS!****'**

After a while he loses time, the numbing cold of the ghost hands merging into one, the continuing scream of his name becoming a buzz in his ears. He isn't awake enough to fight, so he floats into the nothing and everything. He exists only in this space in his mind. The space that gets him through any pain his life brings him, any hurt people shovel on top of him.  
  
Something changes and it takes him a few blinks to work it out.  
  
_Oh, the door is open. _  
  
He rises to his feet, moving in small steps through the ghost fragments and steps out the door. A few steps later and he blinks at the warmth of the night.  
  
_It's warm._  
  
He keeps walking, noticing the car that brought him here. No, that's not quite right... and yet he can’t pinpoint why. The thought fades as the door to the car opens and he automatically slides in.  
  
Then the door is opened again. Klaus climbs out and walks up the steps to the house. This door opens as well and he moves through the house.  
  
_It's cold again._  
  
He pauses in front of yet another door and blinks.  
  
_Why does it not open?_  
  
A hand reaches past him. Then the door opens. He steps in and stops in the middle of the room, blinking. Something feels off about the room.  
  
_Warm._  
  
There's something warm on his cheeks. Now his head is being moved. He blinks and looks up into dark eyes. The warmth moves away and he allows it, though he doesn't want to. It's quieter here. Not silent, as it is never silent, but the quiet buzz of the fragments is as close to silence as it gets.  
  
Fabric is pulled from him, then put back on. The warmth is back and Klaus is moved with a gentle touch. Such a gentle touch. Breath escapes him and he leans into the warmth.  
  
But it leaves as fabric moves once again.  
  
The next time the warmth touches him it is to make him sit up. It's soft and he wants to curl into it, yet he sits still, hoping the warmth will be back. It does return and this time it is tugging him down and he is so pleased that there is more warmth. His cheek is resting against something warm.  
  
_Thank you._  
  
Something touches his lips and he parts them. Water fills his mouth and he swallows it down in small mouthfuls. It stops and his head is guided to move. Warmth covers his left ear and he sighs.  
  
_It's quieter._  
  
Yet there is another steady noise now. A thump against his right ear. He focuses on it. It's a grounding sound, as if it could keep him tethered to reality in that drifting quiet.  
  
Something moves through his hair and he likes it. It is so very warm and soft.  
  
_More, please._

* * *

Ben is pretty sure he's in shock. Already everything had been too much: too much touch, too much light, too many smells. Coming back from the dead felt like the world had gone from 10 to 100 in an instant.   
  
He had panicked in those first few minutes until Five had showed up in his room in his spark of blue.  
  
And now it’s taking everything Ben has to stop him from panicking again as he pulls an unresponsive Klaus to his chest.  
  
Klaus is freezing and as pale as the ghosts that haunt him. His green eyes are vacant, staring into nothing.  
  
"Thank you.”

It's almost a breath and Ben’s heart leaps at it. Maybe Klaus isn't too far gone yet.  
  
"I've got you. I'll keep you safe."  
  
A spark of blue and Five is back, a glass of water in his hand. He looks both worried and guilty, but as much as Ben wishes he could comfort Five, he can't. He's no good at comforting others. He never really had the chance to learn and right now he can't put enough thoughts together to try.   
  
"Is he any better?"  
  
Ben doesn't say anything. He's not sure what to say. High Klaus, Klaus waking from a nightmare - those he can deal with. This, this is something he has never seen. It dawns on him that he has never seen Klaus sober long enough for this.  
  
Ben grabs the cup from Five a little too quickly, carefully holding it to Klaus' lips.  
  
"Is there anything else you need us to do?"  
  
Five is looking around the room and Ben can sense how desperate he is to leave. To disappear away from this situation that he doesn't know how to deal with. It was strange to see his normally confident brother looking for guidance on what to do.   
  
Ben considers this as he helps Klaus drink. During his life as a ghost, he had witnessed first hand how the spirits tortured his brother. He’d had a front row seat watching them try to claw the life out of Klaus, how they’d wail and scream if Klaus even flicked his eyes in their direction. How Klaus would flinch at the mere mention of his name after a nightmare about the Mausoleum.   
  
"Tell the others not to say his name over the next few days."  
  
Five frowns and then it seems to click.  
  
"Will do. I'll come back to talk to you later about what's happening."  
  
Ben nods and holds out the empty cup. His attention is back on the man in his arms as his other brother leaves. Gently he moves Klaus so that his ear rests over his heart before bringing his other hand to cover his brother’s left ear.  
  
Hope swells up in Ben at Klaus’ sigh.  
  
"It's quieter."  
  
"That's it, just relax. I have you."  
  
He runs his fingers through his brother’s curls, hoping to add something else to help ground him.  
  
"More, please."

Ben smiled. "The number of times I've heard you say that, you’re lucky I don't take it the wrong way."

* * *

Words drift through to him slowly and he doesn't want to go anywhere, just yet. He just wants to stay like this, away from everything.  
  
"Klaus, are you awake?"  
  
That was Ben. Why did he sound worried? Ben never sounded like that unless something really bad was about to happen.  
  
"Ben?" He wasn't sure if the sound made it past his lips or not.  
  
"I'm here?"  
  
The warm thing his head was resting on moved and Klaus blinked, confused. Pulling away, he turned, eyes widening as he looked at Ben. Raising a cautious hand, he ran it over Ben's cheek. He was younger then his Ben. This was the Ben from their childhood.  
  
Klaus turned over his hand. It was blank. No HELLO.

'Klaus. Klaus. KLAUS. **KLAUS!'**

Warm hands cup his face and he's pulled back down until all he can hear is Ben's heartbeat. Strong and so very much alive.  
  
"Try to get some sleep. I'll keep you safe."  
  
Klaus nods, confused, but so very exhausted. Even though he knows Ben can't really keep them away, he feels safe knowing that he won't be alone when he wakes.  
  
Klaus is surprised that it is living voices that wake him and not ghostly screams.  
  
"He won't be a problem anymore," Five says and his voice is sure, even though it's quiet.  
  
"Good, because if the old man lays even a finger on him again, I will let _them_ rip him limb from limb," Ben growled.  
  
Klaus had never heard such rage from his brother.  
  
"So bloodthirsty, Benny."  
  
He pulls back even though everything is screaming at him to stay. To not leave the warm hold of the brother who stayed with him throughout their life.   
  
"I did have to watch you eat waffles during my dead life."  
  
Klaus' cups his hands to his over his heart.  
  
"That is a tragedy, brother dearest. Come, let us go forth and fix that."  
  
He scrambles out of bed, almost getting tangled in the blanket, but luckily, years of having no coordination made for faster reflexes.  
  
His limbs feel both weird and natural. They were both too short and just right at the same time and isn't that a head spin.  
  
He looks back at his brothers who still haven't moved. Reaching out, he takes Ben's wrist in his hand. It's warm and grounding and everything he needs right now.  
  
"You have to walk now, Benny, no just using me."  
  
Klaus tugs and he's grateful when Ben complies. He guides them through the house, heading for the kitchen. The house is still so familiar, nothing ever really changed in it.  
  
Mom is coming out of a spare room along the way and Klaus pauses.  
  
"Hi Mom! Can I have some waffles?”  
  
He knows that her programming says he is to be fed when he asks to try to get him up to optimal weight. Not that it ever worked. Still, the old man thought that there was no point in giving him special training if he was just going to starve to death during it.  
  
"Of course, Klaus."  
  
He flinches.

'Klaus. KLAUS.KLAUS. KLAUS.'

"I'll make some for you boys, too."  
  
She looks behind him at his brothers, smiling.  
  
Klaus follows, ignoring the voices in his ear. Fuck, he wished he was high right now.   
  
He must have lost track of time for a while as the next thing he perceives is that his not-goodbye hand is resting on something warm, fingers holding it in place. He blinked and Ben's eyes came into focus, gazing worriedly at him.   
  
"Why aren't you eating yet, Benny? I distinctly remember you picking waffles several times in the last few years."  
  
"And yet, most of the time we never made it there?"  
  
"I know right? Diego is such a sucky driver."  
  
Klaus turns away to look at his plate. He didn't feel up to eating. A shoulder bumps him from the other side and he flicks his eyes to see Five with his old-timer, good manners eating skills. Well, that just wouldn't do.   
  
Carefully he slid his hand from Ben’s and deftly flicked his wrists. Slowly he cut the waffle into small slices, then he set his cutlery down and stared at Five till he turned. Smirking, Klaus slowly picks up a piece of waffle with his fingers, getting syrup all over them, places it on the tip of his tongue, makes a show of chewing and swallowing, then licks his fingers obscenely while moaning, a blissfully slutty sound.   
  
Ben laughs as Five gives a funny twitch of his mouth like he was fighting a laugh.  
  
  
Klaus is proud of himself for finishing half the plate before his stomach protests. It makes him wonder when this body last ate anything, how long was he…  
  
He shoves away from the table and moves from his chair. It's only just now that he realizes he's only in boxers and a large shirt that fell halfway down his thighs. When was the last time he wore boxers? Well, that was easily solved: quickly he slips his arms down, slides the shorts off and steps out of them.  
  
"Gosh, I can't believe I was seen wearing those."  
  
When Ben snorts, Klaus flashes him a grin before smirking at the frowning Five.  
  
"You never did have any modesty."  
  
"None. Now as much as I’ve loved our little family breakfast, I must be off to raid someone's wardrobe."  
  
Klaus hadn’t even taken a step when Five appeared in front of him.  
  
"How about a compromise?"  
  
Klaus remembers how much fun the last outing with Five was, even though he never got the twenty for it.  
  
"What do you have in mind, old man?”  
  
"I'll go get you clothes from everyone's wardrobe if you get Ben to explain what's going on."  
  
Klaus claps his hands together, leans forward and hugs Five, then quickly moves back before the shock wears off.  
  
"Danke. Make sure to bring me a skirt."  
  
He moves past a still stunned Five.  
  
"Come along Benny, let’s go gossip!” 


	2. Chapter 2

"So what your saying is Alison rumored dear old Dad into ignoring us even more than he did already and now we're all going to play happy family?"

Ben nods though before he can say anymore Five blinks in with a bag in hand.   
  
Klaus is up tipping the bag upside down, scattering the clothes before Five's protest can even leave his lips. He needs to see what's in there, needs to be out of this shirt and into something else.

With quick hands, he strips off his shirt and throws it at Ben. He feels really satisfied when it hits and doesn't just go through him.

His eyes sweep across the clothes as Five blinks past him to land on the bed, he flicks his gaze there and sees the little psycho facing away. Klaus laughs as he turns back to the clothes, there are quite a few, not a lot of really showy ones but he will make do.

"Showing your age their short stuff."

Klaus plucks up a kneel length, black and pink skirt and slips it on. Then a short white and black jacket, that's only a little tight across the shoulders. Next, he grabs the fluffy pink boa and swings it around his neck to give something for his hands to discreetly fiddle with.

Flicking a crease from the skirt and claps his hands.

"Now you look more like our goofball," Ben says smirking.

Klaus breaths in and he realize he does feel more at home in his skin, though he could do with a bubble bath.

"Danke Benny."

Five turns to face him and Klaus grins.

"I must say Fivey that your taste has improved in clothes, though I can very much tell you that none of the ladies in this house has ever had this skirt."

He gives a little sway of his hips just testing its movement and he lets out a sigh at the feel of cool air on him.

Five's cheeks colour slightly, "I had time so I went out and got some clothes, you can thank Delores when we meet her again for my taste."

His eyes dimmed at the mention of his mannequin girl.

"I will have to do just that, maybe even we can compare eyeliners together, but until then you can be my new shopping buddy while Ben can be our bag boy."

"No way."

"Shhh, Ben I wasn't talking to you."

"When has that ever stopped me."

"Not in my lifetime."

A knock at the door startles him. He's not one for closing doors as he knows how much Ben dislike it. He's never really said so, it's just something Klaus had picked up. Ben as a ghost would rather maneuver around a partly open door then go through the door. It hadn't bothered Klaus as he had nothing to hide, so keeping a door wide open for whoever walked by to look in hadn't fazed him in the slightest. It wasn't like everyone didn't already think he was crazy.

Klaus turned opening the door to see his sisters in the doorway.

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. Klaus.'

Blue moved down the corridor and he turns, using his hand to beckon them in.

"Come in, come in don't lurk in the hallway."

He drops on the bed right next to Ben and watches as his two sisters eyes dart around the room before entering and closing the door. Both of them bring their arm up around them in a way that stats that they don't want to be here.

"My dearest sisters, what brings you to my room?"

"We were thinking of going out for lunch in an hour or so, did you three want to join us?" Allison asks.

Even though it all screams wrong, Klaus makes sure to beam at them.

"We'd love to."

His eyes flicker over to Ben and he freezes. That's right he doesn't need to speak for both of them now.

Ben just rolls his eye and nods.

Five disappears from beside him to reappear at the door, obviously impatient for coffee. He swings it open and Klaus turns his eyes on Ben to keep from looking at the ghost outside his door.

"Meet you by the front door in an hour then," Klaus says waving his not goodbye hand as they leave.

Ben give his the _what now look_ and Klaus grins back.

"I'm going for a bath are you joining me?"

Just the thought of being in a room without Ben right now sends a shiver down his spine. Even when he was high as a kite he would normally be about to glimpse Ben somewhere around the room, hood up and looking gloomy. He had been a very resistant ghost and his only sibling that seemed to be able to put up with him.

"Someone has to make sure you don't drown."

Ben stands and looks at him expectantly.

"Come on let's stop by my room so I can grab a book."

* * *

Klaus enters the café first, head moving as his eyes flick around. Ben knows what he's doing so when Allison goes to move forward likely to pick a table he sweeps out an arm, jumping only slightly when it makes contact. Her eyes flicker to his, then to Five and Ben wonders what Five has told them.

He can see the two have a silent conversation in the few seconds it takes Klaus to take in the room. He follows when Klaus takes the roundabout path to a corner table. He is very familiar with the process so when Klaus sits down and then pulls out a seat he takes it. He doesn't even really think about pulling out his own chair until he's sat down.

He sees Klaus' shoulders tense when Allison and Vanya take a more direct root, while Five blinks to them.

"Why not try starting your day with a glass of orange juice or some eggs?" Trying to mimic the tone from last time.

They both grin and as Klaus says, "Can't smoke eggs."

They both end up laughing while Five stares at them like we have a screw loose and maybe they do, considering Klaus sees things other living people can't and less than a week ago he was dead. It's still slightly unnerving for someone to be looking at both of them and not just Klaus.

He still smiling when the girls sit down.

He tunes out most of the conversation only adding in a few comments here and there. Still partly surprised each time that more than just Klaus reacted to it. Most of the time he spent watching Klaus, he was pleased that it still didn't bother him. It was going to be a hard habit to break and right now he didn't feel like trying.

He keeps flicking his hand with the itch to summon his book even though he can't, even though he has read that book more times then he can count. It had been his go-to when he had to wait for Klaus to either get sober enough to hear him or something to do while Klaus slept. He will have to remember to take a book with him next time, even if it is just to hold.

Klaus' hand slipped into the pink feathers of his scarf thing as he pushed his half-finished plate away. Klaus had kept up the light conversation and yet with each passing second his mussels tensed and just as the girls were finally done, Klaus stood pushing his chair away, sliding out and taking steps to the side.

"Would you piss off." Klaus snapped eyes seeing something that Ben couldn't.

His heart ached at not being able to help. How could you fight something you couldn't see or hear? Something that lived in a world that wasn't his anymore.

They stir in his gut and he has to split his attention between Klaus and keeping them in. There is nothing they can kill right now.

Ben moved, stepping up and taking Klaus' hand as the man flinched back. Leaning into the man's space he says, "take me to our room, I wish you to read to me."

Klaus turns grateful eyes on him before snatching Ben's wrist and moving them in quick steps, zig-zagging around the ghost that prayed on his sober brother. He will have to talk it other and fill them in more on what to expect, when he can bear to be apart from Klaus long enough.

* * *

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. KLAUS.'

Klaus looked down at Ben, sleeping in his or maybe their bed now. Ben had tried to leave the room for his bedroom earlier and even though Klaus had felt shaken by the idea, Ben had wanted to try so he smiled and let him. It took about thirty seconds, enough time that he's body shook enough that he'd had to sit on the bed, hands tremble as the call of the ghost to get louder. For Ben to be running through the door and just freezing feet away to stare at him.

Ben had been shaking in a way that he had only see after Ben's special training. An arm gripping his stomach, wide eyes like he wasn't sure if he wanted to come closer or keep you away from him like he was a danger to Klaus.

"It's ok Benny, come here for me."

Klaus didn't dare move from his spot, just held out his hands doing he's best to keep the shakes away. His smile gentle as he waited, it was never a good idea to approach Ben when he was like this. It wasn't that Klaus was afraid of Them. It was that Ben already had so many options taken from him, Klaus wouldn't take another from him.

It took several moments before Ben crossed the distance, fitting his body tightly in. Klaus wrapped his arms around, trying to give as much comfort as he could.

"It's ok now, you’re here Benny and you're safe."

Ben didn't cry but his body shook.

"I can't feel you. They can't feel you and they don't understand."

"I'm right here, how about you spend the night here?"

They'd laid down and Ben had fallen into an exhausted sleep while Klaus did his best to keep his mind away from the buzz.

'Klaus. Klaus. KLAUS. KLAUS.'

He'd slipped out of bed once he was sure Ben was deeply asleep and now he had a choice, he could stay here and wait for them or he could hope Ben stayed asleep while he tried to deal with them.

He ran a hand through Bens hair, still marvelling that they could touch.

'KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS.'

A shiver when down his spine as he felt them, the trip out for food had brought more home with them.

His body started to shake, hands moving to scratch his arms now that Ben was asleep. Ben was his focus, his moral compass and now Ben wasn't stuck in his world anymore. If Ben wanted to he could leave and he most likely would leave just like everyone did. Living people didn't need Klaus, living people never wanted him and the only exception to that was Dave. His chest ached at the thought and it was almost enough to give in to the want for the mind-numbing bliss that drugs brought.

No, he couldn't give in just yet. This could be his chance. If he could summon Dave then maybe he could keep going. Maybe he wouldn't be the junkie brother anymore, maybe he wouldn't be alone after all.

He straightened his stance. If he could follow Dave to the front line then he could damn well face these few ghosts.

'KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS.'

They were waiting just outside as he moves around them and down the hall. Flickers of blue here and there screamed at him, fragments that couldn't move too far from their spot.

He reached the entrance hall and closed his eyes to focus, he needed to draw in the once around the house. He only wanted to do this once. His hands grew cold, cold-like when he walks through the dead. And then he could feel them, feel the cold and sorrow they brought with them.

'KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS!'

His body shook and yet he had to do this, he had to stay calm. He took a deep breath that chilled his lungs. Held it and let it out in a slow breath.

'KLAUS! KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS.'

He needed them to be quiet. Need them to relax. He needed to see Dave again.

Memory's surfaced, the dance, Dave's beautiful face. The way the Dave held him like he wasn't broken like Klaus was an actual person.

'KLAUS KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS.'

Dave's hands running along his jaw. Dave's laugh at the funny way he spoke.

'KLAUS. Klaus. Klaus. Klaus.'

He opened his eyes and kept Dave in his mind while he looked at the ghosts that haunted his past. Some were more solid, the three nannies that had been killed. The old man from Luther's room with his noose necklace. The four from the café that had followed him home.

Where others, twenty or so that he could barely tell what gender they were. They were the ones only a short time away from being fragments and he was glad in a way as he knew who some of them use to be, knew that some of them had been killed by his siblings. He hoped that maybe later in life he might be able to help them move on but right now he needed to focus.

They all swaying slightly like they were drugged and Klaus could feel the drain from them. Feel the cold they gave him in return for taking his energy.

"I need you all to listen to me."

He eyes them all as Pogo does to him when he's been caught doing something he shouldn't.

"If you are going to stay here there are rules."

Some of them nodded others didn't move apart from swaying like tranced cobras.

"I will come to talk to you when I can but only when everyone else is asleep and only if I have time. In return, you all stay out of the bedrooms, bathrooms and any room I'm eating in."

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. KLAUS.'

He could feel it slipping as the cold seeped into his bones, feel how his power lost traction on them, like vodka through his fingers.

"Stay away from me until the next sunset."

Closing his eyes he pictured it, pictured them moving away from him, giving him space. Opening his eyes Klaus watched as they backed off, moving away from him as he started forward. His hands burned with the cold but he didn't dare drop it.

Opening his bedroom he was glad to see Ben still sound asleep and oblivious to what was happening.

'Klaus. KLAUS. Klaus. KLAUS.'

The blue light from his hands flickered and he had just enough time to find his player and slip the headphones on and press play before it completely went out as he fell to the bed and into darkness.


	3. Chapter 3

Hands were on him, fingers sliding over his skin as he jerks back, snapping awake. His headset slips down as his eyes tried to focus on what had grabbed him.   
  
"You're meant to sleep under the blanket, you idiot," Ben says, sitting on the bed watching him with concern, hand still stretched out.  
  
Klaus lets out a shaky breath before sending Ben a smile.   
  
"But you were just so hot Benny."  
  
"More like you're just used to sleeping in the gutter. Now up and get your freezing ass into the bath."  
  
Klaus didn't feel cold though he thinks he should after walking around last night in only shorts. Instead, his body aches and he wants nothing more than to curl up and sleep the day away.  
  
"Fine but there better be bubbles in the bath."  
  
Ben stood and held out a hand. Klaus accepted it and let out a gasp when he felt the temperature difference between them. It almost hurt with how hot Ben was compared to him.  
  
"Shit, let's get you into the bath."  
  
He body protested, vision swimming and it's only years of being high, drunk or a mixture of both that let him walk perfectly fine. He can feel Ben's worried eyes on him and it's no use trying to fake fine to someone who has seen you at your worst. This is no were near his worst, though it still sucks.   
  
They walk past a fragment and he guides Ben around it with a hand on his shoulder. Ben seems to understand and moves easily under his grip. Really Ben is going to be the only one who really understands it and even then he's never lived with sober ghost magnate Klaus. 

'KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS.'

He pauses at the bathroom door and turns to face Ben.  
  
"Can you grab my player for me, when you grab your book. I'll get started on the bath, don't worry I'll leave the door wide open."  
  
He needs a moment to just be, he didn't really feel awake let alone alive. Maybe the warmth from the bath and some calming music just might make him feel a little more human.   
  
Ben eyed him before nodding and turning.  
  
Klaus continues into the bathroom and starts up the tub before making his way to the mirror. He's pale, too pale for such a young face and it looks even worse with his dark hair. There is nothing he can do about it so he strips, grabs the bubble bath and heads for the tub.  
  
Ben returns looking a little shaky though determined as he helps set the player up one the bath is full and he's settled in the water before heading to sit beside the still-open door. They trade a smile at how familiar this is then Klaus closes his eyes and relaxes into the warmth.

  
  
His headset being plucked from him wakes him from his doze.

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. Klaus.'

His eyes flick open as he glares up at Ben using him to keep the ghosts to a low buzz.  
  
"What, Ben?"  
  
"Time to get out before we end up back at the start."  
  
He really didn't want to get out. He didn't think he could stand let alone walk anywhere. Then there was the ghost he could see just out of the corner of his eyes, standing outside the door. He was just glad that they hadn't come in.  
  
"Can't you just refill the bath for me Benny?" he whined giving his best puppy eyes.  
  
Ben rolled his eyes and tried to look annoyed, though it ruined by the slight curl to his lip.  
  
"Fifteen more minutes, that's it."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
He would have saluted but he was just so comfortable, instead, he closed his eyes and lets Ben do all the work.  
  
"Music."  
  
There a sigh before his headset was back on and he relaxed as the water was emptied and refilled.

* * *

Ben was enjoying being able to read new books without Klaus have to flip the page for him. He also enjoyed being able to help his brother more, look after him in a way no one else had ever. It had been hard to watch Klaus fall apart and even more frustrating that he had been unable to do anything but offer a word here and there.  
  
Looking at his brother young, lanky self relaxing. Hand over the edge and moving slightly to the beat of whatever song was playing. He doesn't remember the last time Klaus had been so relaxed. Yet he knew something was wrong. Klaus was disorientated and lethargic during their small walk to the bathroom. Each of his steps seemed to take a great effort and Ben couldn't help but feel that Klaus was only doing so to make him happy.  
  
Then there was the fact that he found Klaus asleep, shockingly cold but asleep. Klaus doesn't sleep unless in an exhausted or drugged out bliss, so what had his brother done to get in such a state.  
  
A flicker of blue and five crouched in front of him, eyes darting to the bath and back.  
  
"How is he?"  
  
Five still looked guilty about landing them at a point were Klaus was locked in the mausoleum. Ben felt a little guilt as well, he'd had a somewhat nice awakening in this timeline along with the other. Klaus, on the other hand, had been thrown into his worst nightmare. Ben had never been there himself, but Klaus had let slip enough in his sleep for him to know that the horror had haunted him just as much as ghosts do.  
  
"He was asleep like the dead this morning, I've never seen it happen without chemical assistance."  
  
"You think he took something."  
  
Ben shook his head.  
  
"No, there are none of the signs."  
  
"I keep my eyes out for anything. See you in a bit for breakfast."  
  
A blink later and he was gone.  
  
Ben felt confused, why had Five come here now. It didn't seem like it was just to question about Klaus.  
  
Shoving that thought to the back of his mind he roses, setting his book on a dry spot to go get his brother out of the bath.

* * *

Klaus really didn't feel up to hanging with his siblings, in fact, he really didn't want to do much at all. If it hadn't been for how much Ben obviously wanted to hang with his siblings, Klaus wouldn't be here. Here being, laying on the couch feet in Ben's lap eyes fixed on the ceiling above and not looking to the couch were Luther and Allison are.

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. KLAUS.'

Not on the fragment right behind them. Then there are the Ghosts which are lining the room as if they want to get close and yet know better. He feels like they're circling as if he is their prey.  
  
It's hard though, to try to keep his mind away from them. To try to keep listening to what his siblings are talking about when every slip in concentration lets the ghosts get louder. And even though he can't see it, he knows there is a bar fully stocked with alcohol just a few meters away. Enough to get him drunk for weeks and unable to hear them yet his siblings wouldn't want that.  
  
It is like a vicious circle of siblings, ghosts, drinks that keeps playing right along with the ghosts screams of his name.

'KLAUS. KLAUS. **KLAUS! KLAUS!**'

His hands shake in his hold and he wishes he had bought his knitting or just something to do with his hands. He moves them up in a stretch before folding them behind his head to tug at his short hair. He needed to remember why he is doing this. Dave, he is doing this for Dave.

'**KLAUS!** KLAUS. **KLAUS!** KLAUS.'

He's doing this to see Dave. His kind, strong vulnerable and yet oh so beautiful Dave.  
  
He doesn't jump when Five appears above him, holding out his headset. He raises an eyebrow even as Five frowns like he's not sure what to think of him. Bens hands close around his ankles as the headset is slipped on and his eyes closed. He can trust Ben to keep him safe, never once has Ben willingly put him in trouble.  
  
He relaxes more into the couch, the music becoming white noise as he lets his mind drift. He feels like he's in Dave's embrace, those safe strong arms that keep the demons at bay. 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter jumps back to the start of the last chapters morning.

Five didn't know what to think about with all this data and he wished Dolores was here to go over it with. One of the first things he'd noticed this morning was the cold spots around the house. He'd spatial shifted into one as he made his morning coffee. It had been like stepping from a cool spring morning and into a freezing winter night.   
  
The strangest thing was the cold spot seemed to move on all by its self moments later like someone was pulling the cold away. If it hadn't happened a second time when he moved about the kitchen making his coffee, though he hadn't really needed his coffee to wake him up after that. He still made it because he went to all that trouble of going and buying it the day before. He might have thought it was just his mind playing with him. Dolores had always warned him about doing too much with little sleep messed with him.  
  
As no one should be up he'd decided to investigate more by actually walking up to his bedroom. It had been a long time since he spent a great deal of time in this house, but he is sure there was never cold spots like this last time.  
  
He manages to find another three small spots but these don't move like the one in the kitchen. They also don't feel quite so cold.  
  
Five almost lets out a snort as he rounds the corner to see Klaus relaxing in the bath, door wide open like he didn't care who saw him. His headset on and hand moving to some kind of tune.  
  
Legs that can only be Ben's are sticking out from the boy's spot just beside the open door. Five knows that it's a bad sign of how codependent they are that they can't even separate long enough for Klaus to have a bath. He will have to help them work on it though for now, maybe it's a good thing that Klaus has someone close by after the mausoleum.  
  
His chest aches with guilt even though he knows he couldn't have known about it when he picked this time. He takes a few, quite steps forward and freezes at the chill. There is a massive cold spot between him and his two brothers. Had they walked through it on there way to the bathroom or could only he feel them?  
  
Five spatial shifts next to Ben without really thinking about it. He looks around and tries to hide his frown when inside the room is only slightly chilled. He flicked his eyes to Klaus who hadn't seemed to notice his entrance before looking back at Ben.  
  
Ben was still in his light pyjamas, not looking fazed by the chill at all. Maybe it was just him, maybe he had just lost it. He can hear Dolores now telling him how lost he is without her.   
  
"How is he?" Five has to ask because out of all of them Klaus is the hardest to read.  
  
The man has more masks then anyone Five knows and with the short time he's spent with Klaus he doesn't trust himself to be able to pick them apart just yet.  
  
"He was asleep like the dead this morning, I've never seen it happen without chemical assistance."  
  
"You think he took something."  
  
He wasn't sure how Klaus had gotten anything with ben around, but what other explanation could there be.  
  
Ben shook his head and he added Klaus strange behaviour to his list of puzzles to work out.   
  
"No, there are none of the signs."  
  
That was another list he would have to get off Ben another time. Right now he had his first mystery of the morning to solve.  
  
"I'll keep my eyes out for anything. See you in a bit for breakfast."  
  
Five spatial shifts up to the second floor in a blink just as Allison exiting her room. This brings up thoughts of yesterday, of how his sisters had seemed closed off during there invite to lunch. They had hunched in and he had put it down to there history with Klaus. He had known that they all wanted time with Ben but Five had made it clear that no one was to try separate Klaus and Ben.  
  
Now he thought better on it, maybe it hadn't been that maybe they had ended up in a cold spot. It made sense and they had seemed relaxed enough during there outing even with Klaus doing most of the talking.

"Might want something a little warmer on, it’s a little chilly downstairs."  
  
He spatial shifts into his room to put on some more layers of his own.  
  
  
Breakfast was quiet and he'd only had to step in a few times to prevent the conversation taking on a darker tone. Klaus also seemed to help out there, making a stupid comment or opinion just at the right time. So most of the time he's had to step in was actually to stop him family from tearing into the Séance.  
  
As breakfast when on he could see the effort Klaus had to put in to just focus on the conversation. He was exhausted and as he kept glancing at Ben making it quite obvious that the only reason he was still there was because of Ben.  
  
Ben must have taken notice of this, as when they moved the conversation to the lounge room he pushed Klaus into laying down before taking the Séance feet in his lap. Klaus didn't complain just moved till he was looking at up at the roof.  
  
When no one started the conversation Allison stepped in.   
  
"I was thinking that we should all go out shopping together. I mean we don't have to wear the uniform anymore so it would do us some good to pick up a few extra things."  
  
He shivered doing his best to hide the chill down his spine. Was it just him or was the room getting colder  
  
"It would nice to have a choice of clothing for once," Ben says and his eyes flick to Klaus like he's expecting the other to say something.  
  
When the other didn't, dark eyes narrow before turning to look at him. Razing a hand he tapped his ear and mouthed headset.  
  
Five gave a nod before shifting to Klaus bedroom, the clothes from yesterday were nicely put away. It was weird with how badly he treats his body, that he took such care with his clothes. Picking up the player from where it was on charge and he spatial shifts back into the lounge room next to Klaus.  
  
Klaus didn't appear shocked at his arrival like he used to things suddenly appearing, most likely was with the ghosts. When Klaus only raised an eyebrow with a look of what are you waiting for, Five. Five frowns at him and complies slipping the headset on and pressing play.  
  
Klaus seems to relax at once, eyes slipping closed and a small smile playing on his lips.  
  
Five turns and spatial shifts back to his spot sitting beside Vanya. His body shivers as he takes note that the cold seems to have crept closer. What would have changed in the few seconds he was gone?  
  
He's interrupted from chacing that train of thought by Luther.   
  
"Why are you to babying him?" Luther asks though it's more like a demand, eyes flicking between Ben and him.  
  
Something in the room seems to shift as Ben glares at Luther and it is like the boy is taking up three times the space. He can't remember Ben ever doing something like this before. The Ben he had grown up with was a gentle person who spent a lot of time reading, both by himself and out loud to others.  
  
"Just because your ability is some neat little thing, doesn't mean that all of ours are. So when someone with one of the nastier abilities needs help in small ways to deal with them. Unlike you, some of us will offer a helping hand."  
  
It was a low growl, something he had never heard from Ben and right now everything about the boy screamed danger, his every instinct is telling him to run and hide before that gaze is turned on him. He feels Vanya shift back as if trying to hide.   
  
Luther didn't seem to notice as he snapped out, "well if he just learnt control like Dad always told him then he wouldn't need help."  
  
"You have no idea what you are talking about." Ben's voice was now a low purr and Five was seconds away from spatial shifts with Vanya from the room and just letting Ben have Luther. Sacrificing one to save the rest.  
  
"Please, his ability has no use."  
  
The was a gasp from Vanya.  
  
"Has no use." Ben snapped as tentacles moved to curl up and around Klaus' legs.  
  
The whole room seems to hold it's breath, even Luther had finally seemed to get the monster he was pocking.   
  
"Klaus is the reason I'm here. Klaus is also the reason I could save all your asses back in the theatre. And all you can do is put him down at every turn."   
  
There's movement and then Klaus's sitting up cupping Ben's cheek to turning his face so he's no longer looking at Luther. His headset slipped down to his neck and he doesn't even seem the slightest bit scared of the tentacles wrapped around his legs, nor the wild look in Ben's eyes.  
  
Klaus smirk before fluttering his eyelashes.   
  
"Benny, if you had just told me you liked people watching you wrap me up. I would have agreed in a heartbeat. I mean you know I'm up for everything but I also think the middle brothers will faint if we take this any further. Now tell Jamin to loosen up or I might just get a hard-on."  
  
Everything in Ben's posture changes. He loses the rage to a smirking predatory grin as the tentacles moved back to him.   
  
"Your right, I do know all your kinks after all I haunted you ass while you let others take it. I also know just how your mind works. Just like I know that we should get you out of here and away from the drinks your eyeing over my shoulder."  
  
Klaus flopped back.  
  
"Ben your such a stick in the mud."  
  
"And here I thought you wanted to go shopping with us. I mean I could tie you to a chair while we all go."  
  
Klaus springs up in a movement that almost looked surprisingly graceful. It was clear that Ben was use to using words to get there brother to do what he wanted. 


	5. Chapter 5

Klaus enjoyed there outing, trying on clothes and picking out some for his siblings. It was a very different experience and he had fun at the look of horror on everyone's face when Ben and he snipped at each other.   
  
Especially when they made a casual remark about Ben's death.  
  
"Oh hell no, you aren't haunting my ass in that if you die."  
  
"Just think of it this way, while I was haunting your ass I didn't get to pick what I saw you in or if I saw you in anything at all."  
  
All his siblings had made stunned yet amused noises and he had just smirked at them. It seemed to be taking his siblings a while to get around Ben's new take on life. It must be quite a shock to go from there memories of sweet, gentle Benny to this amazing jerk that Klaus had seen Ben bloom into.   
  
The next bit seemed to set them off and he didn't know why.   
  
"Yes but that shirt makes you look about three years younger and I'll always be worried about some pedophiliac ghost getting my sweet Benny boy."  
  
"It's not like you can talk with how much skin your flashing, remember sweet seventeenth with all those hot strippers."  
  
He turned on Ben and gave him a hard look. Ben very well knows that there is little he remembers about that day other than little flashes and waking up so sore but with lots of cash.  
  
"Come one Ben, from what little I remember it was a fun night with those hot hunks. The next night was even better because we got to stay in a hotel with a spar. Remember that, oh god that was amazing."  
  
He tosses another shirt at Ben, it was nothing like what he would wear but Ben had always been a bit boring.  
  
When Klaus turns it was to see the others staring at him, from various places. He wondered what was their problem. Then he saw what Vanya was about to try on.  
  
"Vanya dearest sister, that is just a no. Come now I know you want to keep all your cuteness to your self, so how about I help you pick something out."  
  
He takes Vanya's arm and moves away, dodges a ghost who looks to be a worker who got shot. Said ghost has been stalking his ass but the lucky part is the shots that kill him seems to have taken out his voice box and lower jaw. Gorgy but helpful.  
  
He can hear them start whispering as Ben joins them.  
  
  
All in all, it was a good outing up until he decided to count how many ghosts he brought back with him. Ten, he had another ten ghosts and there was sure to be more to come.   
  
"Do you mind if we go help Vanya with training today?" Ben asked from on their bed.  
  
"Sure thing."  
  
He folded the last shirt and slipped it away.  
  
"You all good if we stop in the kitchen first. I want to try one of my shakes."  
  
With his appetite fluctuating and the constant use of his abilities in the next few days to come, he had decided the quickest and easiest way to go were meal replacement shakes. He could make them and just take them with him.   
  
Ben seemed to brighten up at that.  
  
"Sure but I want a sip as well."  
  
He quickly pulled on the new light purple skirt and a jacket in a fabulous dark purple with fur trim.  
  
"Can't keep our sister waiting too long Benny, that's just not polite."  
  
Ben rolled off the bed, in a not quite graceful movement that spoke of his lack of time in a physical body. He should probably do some fitness stuff with Ben to help with that. Maybe some yoga or dancing, he wondered if Ben had two left feet.

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. Klaus.'

"We should go dancing sometime," he said while stepping around a fragment.   
  
"Apart from strip dancing, can you even dance?"  
  
He was glad to notice that Ben followed him around the fragment, they always scream lauder when someone walks through them.  
  
"You'd be surprised what I know Benny boy."  
  
"Not one bit, if anything I would rather not remember half of what I know you know."  
  
They stepped into the kitchen and Klaus set about making his shake, adding the milk and powder to the shaker.

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. Klaus.'

Didn't these new ghosts have any manners, they were floating only meters away and he had to keep his eyes focused on the shaker just to ignore them   
  
"Like we didn't have fun along the way."  
  
"There was the highlight of watching all the idiotic stuff your drunk ass did. Remember that time when you decided to try climbing a tree to get you high heels out of it, even though you still had both shoes on."  
  
"Shut your pie hole, we agreed not to talk about that."   
  
"No, you agreed, I never did."  
  
"Shut up and try this."  
  
Ben takes one sip and spits it out over the sink.  
  
"That is nasty."  
  
Klaus takes it from his hands and takes a sip. Ben's right it's not pleasant, though it's not the worst thing he's ever eaten. So looking right at Ben he takes another sip before licking his top lip and adding a wink.  
  
"So creamy."  
  
"That is feral, now hurry up Vanya would have started already."  
  
He follows Ben reaching out a hand and guiding him around a fragment. It was so much easier when Ben could see them as well.   
  
"Who's on training duty today?"  
  
From what he had picked up there had been a training roster with Five and Allison taking lead but with either Diego or Luther stopping in if they had any ideas on what to try. They could only train in the late afternoons as Vanya was still on her morning and night medication at half dosage while she weans her body off them.  
  
"Five and us, when you get your ass moving."  
  
He was kind of relieved that it would be Five, he just didn't have the energy to make small talk after the day out, let alone the ten new ghosts, six of which had no personal space and kept screeching at him.

'Klaus. Klaus. KLAUS. KLAUS.'

He took a breath and let it out turning his focus on the training room as he pushed the door open.  
  
Five and Vanya sat opposite each other, cross-legged in a meditation pose Klaus was familiar with, from a time he would not think about right now.

'KLAUS. Klaus. KLAUS. Klaus.'

He thought briefly about wasting some energy sending the ghosts away. His heart ached at just the thought of setting back his plans by waisting what little power he has.  
  
He chose instead to take a seat close to the door while Ben went and joined them. He focused on the deep breathing he could hear. On the way Ben relaxed with them.  
  
Five hits something beside him that Klaus couldn’t see and the sounds of a violin playing a simple turn sounded around the room. It was eerily beautiful and he wonders at Five pick for a moment. Weren't they meant to be getting Vanya ready for the real world with powers? How often do you hear a violin down the street? Then there was the fact that Vanya is likely to.  
  
As if hearing his thoughts the room seemed to wring with power. The light swung and he could feel the pressure against him. Vanya seemed to glow white just as Five shuts off the sound.  
  
It took a few moments for everything to go back to normal.  
  
"Your getting better, we just have to keep trying."  
  
"What are you trying to do?"  
  
He had to ask because this just wasn't making sense. Five turned to him and shot him a look, it was the are you an idiot look. Vanya seemed to takes pity on him.   
  
"I'm trying to learn to ignore the need for my power to come up with sounds."  
  
Klaus blinked and then looked at Five.  
  
"I knew I was an idiot but I didn't think you were joining me."  
  
"What on earth are you talking about. I bet you don't even really understand what we are trying to do."  
  
"So you are trying to focus our darling sister's power instead of what you should be doing and that is turning everything into white noise."  
  
"That's just stupid, why would you want to cloud your mind with that."  
  
He ignored Five and turned to their sister.  
  
"It's like the one sound gets louder than anything else till all you can think about anything else. Till I could come up right beside you and says the dirtiest words and you wouldn't even know."  
  
Vanya just gapped at him while nodding.  
  
"How the hell did you know that?" Five appeared right in front of him looking down on him like he was a confusing math's problem.  
  
Klaus rose, wrapping Five in a hug and when Five didn't pull back then whispering in his ear, "What a disturbing glimpse into the thing you call my brain."  
  
He stood back and grinned at Ben and Vanya who hasn't moved. Then taking on the training Dave had drilled into him he stood up straight.  
  
"Vanya tomorrow I'm taking over your lesson, we will converge here at twelve hundred, bring your violin."  
  
With that, he turned and headed off into the ice-cold wall of ghosts. Ben is quick to follow though they don't talk till they're in the bedroom and Klaus is chugging down the rest of his drink.   
  
"You know Five's going to be bugging you till he finds out."  
  
"Yep, but our little psycho needs something to do. Now do you have enough books because I want to get started on these walls, I mean look how drab they are."


	6. Chapter 6

Klaus spares one last look at his sleeping Ben as he leaves the room.

'Klaus. Klaus. KLAUS. KLAUS'

He thinks of Dave, lets the love between them warm him as he looks at the ghosts crowding the hallway.

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. Klaus.'

His hands glow as he walks through the path they clear for him. There are nineteen ghosts now who have full shape and it is now impossible to tell how many that only resemble a human shape.  
  
He walks silently thought down the hall and into the living room this time. The ghosts follow like enchanted cobras or maybe rats to the pied piper.   
  
"You will all be polite and give me three meters of space at all times." He tells them as he sits, letting his hands flicker out.

'Klaus. Klaus. Klaus. Klaus.'

They do so and someone the more polite ghosts send him a smile. He has plans tonight before he deals with the ghosts and one of those plans is to try a summoning, something he hasn't tried since Five left.  
  
He hates them with a passion because they bind the ghost to him for weeks. It is a give and take, with the only thing he gives them is a way to get to him. They, on the other hand, take his energy, take his warmth, take what little sanity he has left. And the most annoying thing of all is that they can take days to form. 

He is so glad that Ben is living right now, Klaus knows that Ben doesn't remember his first ten days as a ghost and he doesn't want Ben too. And if Ben saw what he was about to do, even though it's different, it can have the same look to it. He doesn't even want to chance triggering those memories in his brother.   
  
No, he needs to focus on Dave and only on Dave. Dave's smile, Dave's laugh, the way he smelled and how his every touch never felt enough.  
  
He pulls his legs up and sits cross-legged falling into a meditation position. Hands coming to rest on his knees and he can feel his breathing get deep. He'd practices this for weeks on end after Five's disappearance and even after so many years, he can find that balance.  
  
Closing his eyes he takes a breath, holds it and then lets the cold come as he breaths out. He feels it creep from his hands, up his arms and taking hold in his chest.   
  
Opening his eyes he pictures Dave there, close enough that he could reach out and brush him. Lets everything else fade to white noise as he pulls more power from himself. Gives more of his warmth till his arms are numb with cold.  
  
His heart aches as it starts to form, it's only a blue glowing outline and yet he knows it's him, he would know Dave anywhere.  
  
Tears fall down his cheeks even as he reaches up and places both glowing hands to rest were the figure's chest is. The cold is almost painful, maybe it would be if he wasn't so fucked up but he's Dave's so it doesn’t matter how fucked up he is.

  
The glowing figure fills in a little more and he can see the hollow of Dave's eyes. Those beautiful checks that he wishes he can touch.  
  
His hands shake as the blue flickers. No, he can give more, just a little more. Tear run in rivers and his chest aches as the glow goes out. His whole body trembles with exhaustion and he leans back on the couch as his breath hitches.  
  
The shadow of Dave just stands there, not moving just hanging there like a puppet waiting for Klaus to pull his strings. God, even like this he is beautiful.  
  
Dave gone a moment later, blackness takes his place. It takes him a moment to realise his eyelids are closed. Ranching them open is an effort but he knows he can't stay here. Dave isn't the only one who needs him.  
  
Rising to his feet makes his world tilter though it also brings him almost eyes level with Dave if it wasn't for Dave being handsomely tall. Not able to resist he peeks the air where Dave's cheek will be before stepping off the couch.  
  
"I will see you later beautiful." He whispers into the cold as he stagged off.

* * *

"Hey Jamin, it's ok it's just me, just the beautiful Klaus trying to wake up Ben."  
  
Ben blinks as he realizes that the slight pain in his stomach is what woke him up.  
  
His eyes dart open and he is glad again that Klaus always has his fairy lights on. _They _have _Their_ tentacles locked around a very pale Klaus. Not that Klaus looked scared at all, no, in fact, he seemed to be patting one of them. Like _They_ are some kind of dog and not a creature that could tear him limb from limb.   
  
"Did you just call them Jamin?"  
  
He has to ask because even for Klaus it is a bit ridiculous to be naming _Them._  
  
"Who else would I be talking to, anyway it suits you both. Ben-Jamin, see it's the perfect fit."  
  
Ben wants to sigh or grumble instead he's laughing because only Klaus would come up with that.  
  
"Ok, well Jamin has to go away now."  
  
Klaus waves his left hand.  
  
"Sleep well Jamin."

Ben almost laughs when one of the tentacles waves back before sinking back in. Jamin has indeed become very close to Klaus, almost scarily so.  
  
"Why are you out of bed?"  
  
Klaus's green eyes flick away as his hands rub against each other.  
  
"I need a bath."  
  
That snaps the rest of him awake and he's out from the bed and gripping Klaus hands before he really thinks about it. A violent shiver runs up him at how frigid the hands are. It's like holding ice and now that he's close enough, he can see that Klaus' lips have a purple ting to them.

He gripped one hand tightly as he guides Klaus out of the room. Klaus moved slowly like it was a struggle to stay on his feet, swaying and leaning heavily on Ben.   
  
Carefully remembering to step around the spots that Klaus has been showing him. He guesses they contain fragments, though really he doesn't have too many experiences with them. He'd always hitchhiked the area of ghost-free that seemed to be around a high Klaus even though at the very start it had been like fighting against a strong current trying to push him downstream.  
  
Fragments caught in that seemed to turn into blue, misty statues. Unable to even twitch let alone scream.  
  
"Ben, the bathroom the other way."  
  
Ben makes a noise of agreement before stopping at the bottom of the staircase and maneuvering Klaus to sit.

"Stay here, I'll be right back."  
  
Klaus doesn't say anything as Ben darts up the steps and knocks not too gently on Fives door. Theirs light coming from beneath it and it only takes a moment for Five to open the door.  
  
Five looks him over as Ben tried to think how to fraise what he needs. He's not quite sure what he needs Five to do, he just knows that he needs someone.  
  
Five seems to get it as he nods once.  
  
"Lead the way."  
  
Ben turns, dashing back the way he came. His heart is racing in a way he hasn't felt in a long time, he feels shaky and not right at all.  
  
Klaus hasn't moved apart from to lean against the wall. Sleepy looking green eyes open as Ben crouches. Before he can say anything Klaus reaches out a hand and places it above his own arm that he only just realizes in wrapped around his stomach.  
  
"Jamin, cool your sock. Benny boy and I are just fine, no need to make our sweet Ben uncomfortable."  
  
Ben just blinks as the pale, cold hand on him flickers blue for just a moment. He is shocked when he felt the being in him settle, how had Klaus done that.  
  
"Bath Benny?"  
  
He blinks and looks at a pouting Klaus.  
  
"Sure, let's get you one with lots of bubbles."  
  
The grin he gets, settles him slightly no matter that it takes a bit to get Klaus on his feet. Five appeared in a blue flash and takes Klaus' other side.  
  
"Shit, your freezing."  
  
"Dank Five sweetheart. You're looking quite lovely tonight as well."  
  
They move slowly down the hallway, he did his best to guide them around the Fragments, though with the three of them he wasn't the most successful and he could feel Klaus stiffen each time five or he brushed one.  
  
"What did you do to get like this?"  
  
"Well, I was born beautiful and it's only going to get better with age, like a bottle of expensive wine."  
  
"Klaus."   
  
"Drop it Five, let's just get him in the bath then we can talk."  
  
He could hear the running water and he wasn't quite sure how Five had guessed to start it.  
  
"Five, can you stir the water to make more bubble while I help him strip."  
  
He got a noise of completed even as Five complied obviously getting that Ben was giving him a way out of seeing Klaus strip. Ben had seen it all too many times to count and in way more awkward situations.  
  
"Come on you idiot, let's get you out of these."  
  
"Really if I knew you wanted to see all of me you could have asked at any time."  
  
"Do you forget that I've seen your scrawny ass too many times already."  
  
"My ass is not scrawny, it is amazing."  
  
He snorts as the last of the clothes come off.  
  
"Five, can you go get his player."  
  
Five's going in a blue flash without even turning around.  
  
"I'd be offended if I didn't know Dolores had already taken him. Maybe she's given him a talking to about looking at naked people."  
  
"I'm sure she has, now get in the tub."  
  
"Fine, fine. your such a mother hen."  
  
Klaus settles in the tub and lets out a groan of pleasure.  
  
"Do you need anything else."  
  
"Can you get Five to make me a shake."  
  
His heart warms as what was not said. _Don't leave me._  
  
As if summoned Five blinked back in with both the player and a book.  
  
Ben grins at him as he takes the player and sets it up and watches Klaus relax as the music washes over him.  
  
He goes to take the book only for Five to hold it away.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Be let's out a sigh, shoulders hunching in.   
  
"I don't know. This is the second night in a row that I've found him like this. Yesterday wasn't quite so bad."  
  
He can feel Jamin stir at his worry.  
  
"Have you noticed the cold spots?"  
  
He frowns not sure what his brother was talking about.  
  
"Cold spots?"  
  
"You seemed to be trying to guide us around them."  
  
Five can't mean.  
  
"You can feel them?"  
  
"Yes. I'm pretty sure Allison and Vanya can too."  
  
He wonders why he can't, was it because he doesn't walk through them?  
  
"They're a type of ghost. Klaus avoids the spots they stand on so I know where to walk around them. I don't think I've ever walked through one."  
  
"Type?"  
  
"Yes, there are different types. Now before you go could you pop down to the kitchen and mix up one of Klaus' shakes with milk."  
  
It's not his ability to talk about and he won't go behind Klaus' back.  
  
Five gives him a frustrated look as he shoves the book at Ben before disappearing.   
  
Ben moves and slides down the wall. He really isn't sure what to do. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Would you like a small chapter to do with how Ben came to be?


	7. Chapter 7

'Klaus. KLAUS.KLAUS. KLAUS.'

Klaus looked around the room once more ignoring the ghosts lining the walls, straitening a cushion as Vanya walked into the room with Five. Klaus shares a grin with Ben when they both give the room a confusing look.  
  
Klaus is impressed with himself for pulling it all off in the last hour since his dear Benny let him sleep in. There is a low coffee table in the center of the room, though instead of coffee there's a pot of tea. There are various nail paints and other beauty supplies scattered across the table and around the room are various sound devises including Luther's record player.  
  
He moves to give her a quick hug before taking his seat on one of the four cushions around the table as he motions them to come over with a wave of his right hand.  
  
"Vanya come sit across from me before the old-timer with you fall over."  
  
Still looking confused, Vanya comes over and sets her violin off to one side as she takes a seat.  
  
"Klaus, what is this," Five snaps in the way he always does when he's confused.  
  
He ignores Five and fixes his gaze on Vanya.  
  
"So what we are going to do is first you are going to play us some beautiful music while Benny boy does my nails. Then when you feel like your meds have almost worn off, I want you to take a seat and let me do yours. We will sit, gossip and make Five get us tea."  
  
He gives her his smile that convinces people that his idea isn't as crazy as you think. He can feel the confused glare Five sends him as if Five trying to burn him alive.  
  
Vanya looks confused but takes her violin out of its case, stands and starts to play.  
  
It is almost heartbreakingly beautiful and he turns his eyes away from her as he flicks his hands out at Ben. Behind Ben, he can see when ghosts still as Klaus relaxes with the music and the smell of nail polish.  
  
He doesn't keep track of time, just exists in this moment, saying anything that comes to mind as Ben works on his nails. He can see how hard this is for Ben and after being a ghost with no physical form for years he is glad he can help in this small way.  
  
When she sits Klaus sends her a smile as he finishes the last nail on Bens left hand and lets Ben stand.  
  
"That was beautiful sister dearest. Now chose what colours you want. Five how about I do yours so you can see how to do Dolores when we get her back. Not that I won't be having my own beauty day with her, but one must always know how to treat their princess like a queen. I also have polish remover so I can take it off so no one out of this room needs to know."  
  
He takes the pale blue out of her hand when Vanya holds it up, sets it aside and pores more tea, he's surprised there's some left until he smells the coffee from Fives cup and laughs.  
  
Soft music drifts up, different songs all mingling and it sounds like a jumbled mess, but they all mingle well.  
  
His voice fills the room and he is quite used to talking without really thinking. He makes them all laugh at least once and they're up to there the third volume increases when he feels Vanya's power.  
  
He keeps talking waiting to see if she will bring herself away from the sounds. He can see Five tenses beside him like he is ready to step in.  
  
"Vanya, who wrote the Surprise Symphony?"  
  
She blinks and her power quiets and she focuses back on him.  
  
"Haydn?"  
  
"Oh, that's right thank you. Do you think we should paint Five nails Electric blue?"   
  
He continues for another ten minutes as Five lets him paint his nails in a blue marble while Five fixes him with a very Five look, which feels like he's taking you apart and rearranging you. Over that time he only has to ask Vanya two more questions and he is suddenly very thankful for that one music ghost he's bumped into once. She had a very pretty voice and it had been nice until other ghosts had found her.  
  
Reaching into his pocket he places Vanya's medication bottle on the table then flicks his left hand at Ben who goes to turn the music off.  
  
She looks at him with a frown before taking one.  
  
"So what did you think of your training?"  
  
She takes a moment to think it over and he doesn't let it get to him. He remembers how confusing his powers had been at the start.  
  
"It was good, I think I get what you mean about white noise."  
  
"You did wonderfully sis, I'm sure even out little psycho agrees."  
  
He looks at Five who smiles and nods at Vanya before setting his gaze on him as a junkie would there next fix.  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"Quite easy little brother. Your power is like a whore. Always in that room waiting for you to pimp them out until their too tired to even moan. Vanya's is a little more complex. Her pills are like the stage curtain just waiting for them to be taken away while she is in the ordnance. The conductor is the pimp or powerhouse and he's an asshole. The orchestra is all the sound around us all mingling into one until that pimp decides someone needs a solo."  
  
Klaus lets out a laugh at the blush covering his brother's cheeks and he can hear Ben's snort of laughter behind him.  
  
It takes Five only a few seconds to recover and Klaus almost wishes he hadn't when he asks, "What are your powers like?"  
  
"I'm like a cage dancer, hanging above like a treat for all those dirty creeps who call out trying to get me to focus on them while I focus on the tunes instead."  
  
It's true, there just a little more to it. Like if he were to focus on them instead of the beat of the music his cage would lower into there depth.  
  
He rises gracefully and a sudden wanting for his high heels instead of his bare feet making his heart skip a beat with the need.  
  
"Come along I'm sure it's lunchtime by now."  
  
Five disappears in a blue flicker and he sends a smirk to the other two.  
  
"Five must like his new nail look."  
  
They laugh as they make the way from the room. His entourage of ghosts trailing behind him.  
  
Lunch seemed to drag as his energy wavered. Even though he'd been sitting most of his waking time, the constant use of his powers recently was taking it's told and it didn't help that he forgot to tell his new ghost about his eating rules so they are circling him like wolves but at least their not on top of him.  
  
His head is throbbing and he is so very tempted to use what little energy he had to send them all from the room. It was getting harder to focus on whoever was talking and he feels relieved when Luther finally finishes and they can move to the lounge room.  
  
His body and mind call for the alcohol at the bar but before he can take more then a step into the room his amazing brother Five is flashing in front of him, player in hand.  
  
"[Gracias mi hermano.](Klaus)"  
  
"Go sit down before you fall down."  
  
Five gone in a blink and Klaus moves around till he falls onto the couch, looking up at Dave. His forms a little better in the daylight and he smiles what Dave had called his cute smile, the one he said made him look younger.

* * *

Five's still trying to puzzle through what Klaus said. How can someone like Klaus seem to have such an understanding of a power that's not his own? He can't even remember Klaus spending much time with Vanya. Though the way he describes both their powers was as if it was an outside force and not from within.   
  
He blinks as a shiver goes down him, glancing around he sees that no one else noticed. Klaus is lying down with his feet in Bens lap. Allison and Luther keep looking at each other before looking away. Vanya still relaxed next to him with Diego on her other side playing with a knife as they all listen to Ben telling a tale of a drunken Klaus.

"KLAUS. KLAUS."

He freezes eyes darting around and he sees everyone apart from Ben doing the same. Instead, he was looking at them confused as if he is trying to figure out what has them all distracted.  
  
No one says anything as they return their attention to Ben as he continues though everyone is on edge.  


  
Five waits just up the stairs quietly scribbling in one of his notebooks. He's got half his mind on his equations and the other half listing from noise downstairs.  
  
He doesn't have to wait too long for the soft click followed by almost silent footsteps. Placing his book and pen aside he quietly follows as his brother moves into the kitchen and sets about making one of his shakes.  
  
"I thought you guys would get sick of being in my personal bubble."  
  
Klaus' hands glow blue and wisps of blue swirl around the room. He's stunned at the number, it is almost like a sea of them.   
  
"Keep three meters away from me at all times."  
  
The wisps move back as if being pushed as the glow leaves the Séance hands.  
  
"That's a little more polite. Oh, don't give me that, if you all weren't so rude I wouldn't have to. Yes, I agree."  
  
The Séance talks with the ghosts while drinking his shake. It is difficult to keep up and he can understand why Klaus chooses the dead of night to deal with the ghosts. As the minutes' tick by Klaus seems to get more annoyed before finally, he throws his hand up.  
  
"Times up."  
  
Five has to quickly step back and move down the hall when Klaus throws his shake in the sink, during his time as an assassin he became adept at moving unseen.  
  
Klaus moves on into the lounge taking up his normal couch, though instead of laying down he stands up and holds his hands out almost as if he is cupping someone's face.  
  
"Hello sweetheart, I hope your day wasn't too dull."  
  
A blue glow covers the Séance hands and the room temperature plummet till his teeth want to chatter.  
  
A glowing figure forms. He's tall wearing a sleeveless green jacket, dark pants and boots.  
  
"There you are beautiful. Look at you getting so much stronger. Soon I'll be able to see those beautiful eyes of your light up."  
  
From the blue glow, he can see tears run down Klaus' face as the figure stays motionless.  
  
He feels like he's intruding but is too transfix to look away. His brother looks both so happy and so heartbroken.   
  
"How about I fix you up today. Can't have you coming back all messed up."  
  
One glowing hand slips down to rest on the figure's chest and although he can't see it he guesses that the killing blow must have happened there.  
  
Klaus closes his eyes for moments and then opens them with a grin.  
  
"Your so close right. I didn't think it would work so fast, it didn’t last time. Maybe it's because I'm stronger or more practised. Then again you were always a gentleman and never wanted to keep me waiting, isn't that right Dave."   
  
Klaus leans forward he kisses Dave's cheek, just as the blue glow starts flickering.  
  
"Till tomorrow my sweets."  
  
The Séance leans back and his hands drop as the glow leaves and the figure disappears. Klaus stands there, tears running down his cheeks and then he sways tipping backwards.  
  
Fives there in a blink gripping him and pulling him down to the couch. He's like ice and Five grits his teeth as he pulls his brother to him. Klaus is sobbing and all he can do is grip his younger brother to him.  
  
It doesn't take long for the sobbing to quiet to silent tears and if five wasn't so worried about getting him warmed up, he would stay here and just keep holding him.  
  
"Come on we need to get you in a bath."  
  
Klaus nods and pulls back only after gripping Five's hand while using the other to wipe his face. Five moves closed and in a blink, he spatial shifts them to the bathroom where the Séance wavers on his feet.  
  
"Sit down, while I run the bath."

Klaus slips to the ground and Five heads to the bath now that he's not worried that the idiot is going to fall over.

"Looks like you've gotten to the creepy stalking stage and here I was hoping to avoid it."  
  
Frowning he turns to see green eyes fixed on a spot closer to the door.  
  
"Not that I don't find you beautiful, it's just going to be hard not talking to you. Though the others already think I'm crazy so what does it matter."  
  
He starts up the bath and puts his full focus on Klaus.  
  
"Explain."  
  
"Fine but you can't tell Ben just yet."  
  
At the mention of Ben, he sees worry flicker over his brother's face as the Séance grips his arms tight. Most likely not liking that the boy isn't in the room with them.  
  
"Most ghosts come in three forms. Full, part and fragments. Full look like real people, well at least to me they do. They move, speak and are sound of mind, though they tend to show how they looked like when they died. Parts are the in-between step. And fragments are like a mist that screams at you, but can't move. There is nothing left of the person they once were.'  
  
Klaus' hands come to run over his face before tugging at his hair once before taking a breath and looking right at Five.  
  
"Ben can't remember his first few days of ghost hood because he started as a fragment before I forced him back together. I won't talk about it and Ben doesn't need to know just encase he remembers."  
  
There is a fire in green eyes that speaks of what vengeance he will seek if Five breaths a word of it. He has questions but he knows it's in the past and somethings in the past are better off left there.  
  
"I won't speak a word of it. Now get in the bath."

Maybe some other time Klaus will be willing to share it with him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If this isn't right please feel free to let me know the correct way in a comment. 
> 
> "Gracias mi hermano." - "Thank you, my Brother."


	8. Chapter 8

Dave now follows him like a silent shadow and it is both heartbreaking and relieving. Every time he turns and sees Dave, his chest aches with the need to hear Dave's voice, to see that smile that made him feel like he's special. He wants nothing more than to have those arms wrapped around him, to hold him and tell him that everything's going to be ok.   
  
Dave's presence also came with the familiar feeling of having a constant drain from his energy. Ben had done that to him at the start, not that he knew that or had known better at the time. Young ghost Ben had been in shock for months and it had almost broken both of them.   
  
He had felt so guilty for bringing him back. For forcing him into an existence he hadn't chosen. Now he was glad he had done it.   
  
Klaus looked up at Ben who was trying and failing not to look at him with worry. Klaus had flopped into his lap from where Ben was reading on their bed when he noticed that Jamin was being naughty.  
  
He still doesn't know why Ben can't feel the connection, Klaus can though it's significantly weaker now than when Ben was a ghost. It's the same connection he uses now.  
  
"Hey Jamin, what did I tell you about giving our Benny trouble."  
  
He reaches out and flicks his power, while his hands drift over Ben-Jamin.  
  
"Hush now and let our book nerd read."  
  
He's not surprised when Jamin complies and sends a grin at a stunned Ben.  
  
"Read to me as a thank you."  
  
Ben eyes him like he's plotting something.  
  
"Why would I do that?"  
  
"Because you love me."  
  
"Fine."  
  
Klaus moves back over to the wall he's drawing on as Ben starts to read. He doesn't listen to the words just lets the familiar voice wash over him. He feels safe with the constant reminder that Ben is there.   
  
They spend the day like that, Ben reading that book and then the next as he moved on to the next wall. It was a surprise when Five joined them with a shake for Klaus, an apple for Ben and his notebook under his arm.  
  
His only words were "Allison and Luther are trying your training with Vanya today," before he opened his book and took a spot on the bed for the next hour before vanishing.  
  
He takes Fives warm spot and Ben joins him only moments later to curl up to sleep together, enjoying being able to feel the warmth of each other.   
  
  
Klaus jerks awake to a scream not coming from the ghosts, startling Ben who joins him in looking around though he's a little less awake. He briefly wonders if that's because Ben is used to his screams.   
  
They move together and head down to the kitchen to where everyone seems to have gathered.  
  
"What's up with the damsel in distress scream."  
  
All eyes look to him.  
  
"I can't believe you just standing there looking all innocent, you jerk." Allison snaps.  
  
He blinks not sure what is going on but uses to being shouted at. The living and the ghosts all like to do that.   
  
"Tea, Ben?" he questions though he doesn't wait for an answer.  
  
Before he can even get the cups out Luther is there, big not ape body towering over him. Klaus raises an eyebrow, unimpressed. Not much can cower him after being tortured and going to the front lines.   
  
"Why did you scare Allison like that?"  
  
Klaus eyes the larger boy/ man, confused and yet not surprised that it's being chucked on him.   
  
"You've got the wrong guy."  
  
He laughs at the memory of using that line and hears Ben snort. He leans around Luther to give Ben a wink.  
  
"Do you think if we give them some special chocolate that they'll cool their socks."  
  
"It would be amusing to watch. Do you think Five will blow up a building?"  
  
"Nar, he'll go…"  
  
His words are cut off by Luther's giant hands landing on his shoulders. Klaus feels a spike of something from near Ben and his eyes flick over to see him gripping his stomach, rage in his eyes.  
  
His hand flicks out and a blue glow covers his hand. It feels sluggish as it complies with what he wants.   
  
"Jamin, calm down, Luther won't hurt me," while everyone's in the room, he carefully doesn't add.

'Klaus. Klaus. KLAUS. Klaus.'

There's another gasp as Luther lets him go and moves back. He doesn't take his eyes off Ben as he moves forward and wraps him in a hug. Letting the power fade and rubbing Ben's back as he calms down from almost losing control.  
  
"It's all hunky-dory Ben-Jamin. Does my favourite duo still want tea, I bet you do."  
  
Ben gives him a thankful smile as he does the calming, deep breathing he always got him to do when he was triggered.   
  
It's only once he is sure Ben's ok does he turn to look at the other who are staring at where Miss Stevenbaker, the slightly older nanny was. She was standing there humming some French turn.  
  
He shrugs and goes back to making tea for Ben and a shake for him now that he's feeling a little faint. Klaus hums along with her moving slightly uncaring when the eyes fix on him. If they wish to stare at his magnificent figure they are more then welcome to. He turns and catches sight of Dave and wishes he was at the point where he could join in. He can almost hear him now, _I could just stand here and watch you sway those hips all day, love. _  
  
Tomorrow maybe.  
  
Slowly everyone leaves the room until only Ben and him are the only beings with heartbeats in the room.  
  
"Ben-Jamin, are you ready for your tea?"  
  
"You idiot, hurry up."  
  
He laughs as he sits down just as mom comes into the kitchen.  
  
"Would you like some cookies, boys?"  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
They say together. Nothing was as good as mom's cookies.

* * *

The ghost of the house seems to be settling into his presents like ghosts normally do when they realize that he is not going to give into them. So he's not sure where half of them are and he doesn't care enough to find out. As long as they keep there screams to a dull roar and his three-meter bubble they can fuck each other for all he cares.   
  
Klaus breaths in before bringing his hands up and cupping Dave's face, the blue glow of his hands lighting it up as he funnels his power into him. He knew it wouldn't take too much more and he was right.  
  
He watched the eyes come to life and his heart skips a beat with the warmth he sees.  
  
"Good morning, sweetheart."  
  
Dave looks at him in shock.  
  
"Klaus."  
  
Klaus nods.  
  
"But I."  
  
Tears run down his cheek even as he nods.  
  
"Yes, you did, but I am a stubbornly beautiful prick and wouldn't let you get away from me."  
  
Dave laughs and then he leans in and goes straight through him. Klaus chokes on a laughing sob as he steps off the couch.  
  
"Sorry, I don't quite have enough juice right now to make you solid. Best I can do is make you seen."  
  
Dave moves back and smiles looking down on him.  
  
"Your still amazing love."  
  
"Yes, I am."  
  
"You looks a younger too."  
  
"I'm a virgin, well at least this body is a virgin. Does that still count?"  
  
Dave's laugh warms his cold heart.   
  
A scream breaks through there lovey-dovey moment followed by a few not so girly scream.  
  
Dave flinches back and moves into a ready stance as the thump of heavy footsteps and a lot of swearing along with his name.  
  
Five blinks in, smiling that smile that speaks of trouble.  
  
"You summoned ghosts upstairs."  
  
Five then turns and sticks out his hand to Dave.  
  
"I'm Five, you must be Dave."  
  
Dave straightens and hold out his hand, then looks bashful as his hand goes through the other.  
  
"Don't worry, love you will get used to it," he says, smirking at his beautiful.   
  
Ben is the next one to make it to them, unfazed by the wall of ghosts. He ignores everything and rounds on Klaus.  
  
"Why didn't you tell me it was getting this bad. And what are you doing wandering around without me."  
  
Klaus just grins, only slightly worried about Ben's shaky hands as he pulls the other in and turn him to look at Dave.   
  
"Ben this is Dave, Dave this is my not anymore ghost brother Ben."  
  
Ben looks Dave over and there is something predatory to him.   
  
"I can see why Klaus likes you."  
  
Then he steps right up to him, "You better treat my brother well or I will find a way to kill you."  
  
He steps back and then looks at Klaus.  
  
"You may want to let it go before you faint like a princess."  
  
It's only now that it's pointed out that he realises he's swaying.   
  
"My prince is here now to watch over my sleeping form."  
  
Dave reaches out a hand and rested it over Klaus' cheek.   
  
"Rest love, no need to hurt yourself."   
  
The glow fades and the figures around must disappear to everyone else as they come storming into the room.  
  
"Klaus, what is going on?" Allison says storming into the room.  
  
Dave moves to stand at the side Bens not on, frowning at Allison.   
  
"Sorry power malfunctioned, I was only meant to make one ghost visible."  
  
"Well you didn't, there was an old man stare at me from the corner of the room."  
  
He blinks and then shakes his head grinning.  
  
"You mean Luther's room. The old man only hangs out there."  
  
She splutters and Diego laughs.  
  
"Caught out there," Diego says.  
  
"Shut up." she retorts.  
  
"Why don't we all go back to sleep and discuss this in the morning." Five surgest before blinking out of the room.  
  
Klaus is quick to agree, throwing an arm over Ben and smiling at Dave.  
  
"Come on beautiful."  
  
He guides them both from the room feeling like nothing could be better than having these two by his side.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been the most amazing week of his life. Sure Dave had struggled a bit but after two days of rest Klaus had been able to make Dave solid enough to hug him and they had both cried for the ten minutes it lasted. Then there was the whole, no Klaus you body is thirteen we are not doing more than kissing.  
  
Luther, Allison, Deigo and Vanya hadn't been impressed with the ghosts in the house appearing and disappearing whenever he wanted to touch Dave or just make him visible so Ben or Five could talk to him.   
  
What had most set of his sibling apart from Five and Ben was that he'd started to do it in his sleep as his power grew. He didn't care about that. If he had to deal with the ghosts all the time as a kid, while them telling him that it can't be that bad or just learn to control them, they can put up with them. They should just be thankful that they only call out his name and not theirs.  
  
Klaus blinked and groaned at the thumping on his door.  
  
"Who the fuck is it."

'Luther.'

Dave said from his chair in the corner of the room.  
  
Ben sat up in his bed and glared at the door.  
  
Five had had the brilliant idea of converting one of the larger spare rooms into Ben and his so they could fit in two beds. The bribing factor Five had used was that with them at the other end of the house, ghosts are less likely to appear and the cold that now followed Klaus like a winter chill would stay with him.  
  
"Family meeting."  
  
"Luther it is barely dawn if it's not important I'm helping Klaus replace all your clothes," Ben grumbles out.   
  
Luther seemed to ignore that.  
  
"Be down in ten minutes," he told them before his footsteps retreated away from the door.  
  
For a few moments, he contemplated going back to bed.  
  
Dave sat down beside him and gave him a knowing look.

'Love, you know if you don't go they will just come in and drag you there.'

He ran his hands through his hair and he pulled on his power.  
  
"Kiss me and I'll think of getting up."  
  
He heard Ben snort as Dave smirked.  
  
"I'll kiss you once you get dressed."  
  
"You are such a slave driver."  
  
Sitting up he pecked Dave on the cheek and moved to the wardrobe letting his powers fade. Selecting a purple scarf first and then looked for his shortest skirt. It was a soft black one that only just covered everything.  
  
Next, he moved over to his mirror and added his eyeliner, nice and thick to help his green eyes pop. Once done he gave a little twist while bringing his hands up to grip the silver dog tags around his neck.  
  
He wasn't sure how Five had gotten Dave's dog tags but he was grateful for it. They helped keep him centred almost as much as Dave's presence did. Which was good because Dave sometimes went out to explore a bit and Klaus found it hard when he couldn't see him. Sometimes the urge to reach out and call Dave back had won, though it happened a lot less now. Dave was always good about it, coming back and just holding him till he felt better.

'Darling, you look beautiful.'

"Klaus, you ready?" Ben asked.  
  
He turned and smiled at both of them.  
  
"[Gracias hermosa](Klaus), and yep all ready to face our needy siblings."  
  
Hands flickering blue he looked at Dave expectantly.   
  
Dave smiled that breathtaking smile and pecked him on the lips.  
  
"Let's go get this over and done with."   
  
  
Everyone was seated in there normal spots and a glance told him at only Luther and Allison knew what was going on. Though Five looked like he had an idea and wasn't pleased with what he thought this might be about.  
  
Luther looked about ready to throttle him already as he eyed Klaus' lovely choice in clothes while Klaus found it quite funny that they were all rugged up like a winter snowstorm was just around the corner while he flaunted his beautiful body.   
  
"What a fine morning this is, I mean having our door almost broken down by a not ape sets the mood for the whole day."  
  
He sat in the middle of there couch, Ben took one side and Dave the other, resting his arm over the back leaving a comfortable chill on Klaus' neck.  
  
Luther and Allison glared at him while Diego's lip curled in a pleased smirk.  
  
"Now that we're all here, we can get started," Luther said in his captain voice.  
  
Which is rude, what happened to the good morning greetings while working your way up to a serious talk.  
  
When Luther's eyes locked on him, he knew his day just went from bad to, a junkie watching the last of his drugs go down the drain.  
  
"Klaus, we need to take about the disturbance that you are coursing around the house. Your lack of control is disturbing everyone."  
  
Klaus lent back into the cold, fingers playing with his scarf and wishing he had a drink. He glanced at Allison to see she agreed with number one though no one else looked to be. He could tell by Jamin stirring, that Ben wasn't pleased with where this was going.  
  
"Is it every one or is it just you and Allison, big guy. I mean don't get me wrong I'm sure a few ghosts popping up here and there might be a little scary for you. But they aren't the most creative with there words and it's not like they can touch you."  
  
He wonders if Luther remembers that he had told him _Don't be such a child, it's not like they can touch you_ years ago after Klaus came back from another failed training. It had hurt at the time and now he just found it amusing.   
  
Luther looked a little annoyed but carried on ignoring what he'd just said.  
  
"We think you should try taking something till you get more control. What if you set of Vanya or cause an accident."  
  
Klaus is shocked at what he's hearing. They have been back here less than two weeks, two weeks and after years of hearing his family make comments about his drug habit, he never thought he would ever hear those words leave his family's lips.

"Sorry, did you just ask me to get high."  
  
"No, that's not what I meant."  
  
He laughed.

'Klaus. KLAUS. KLAUS. **KLAUS!**'

"After all this time of being on my back about being a junkie and how I should just learn to control the ghosts and not just get high to shut them up. Now you learn that my powers aren’t so easy. Now that you've gotten just a small taste you find out you can't handle it and want it gone."  
  
"I just think it's better for everyone."  
  
Better for them, never better for him. He's finally happy and they want to take that away from him with drugs. Drug him so he can no longer see Dave, just so they can be happy together.  
  
The cold swept over him and he could feel the ghosts sweep into the room like he was siren calling them.  
  
"**KLAUS! KLAUS!**** KLAUS! KLAUS!" **  
  
He could feel them, feel all the not living in the house. Hear them talk over each other as he feels lighter like the chain holding him has finally snapped. The ghosts chant clouds over his mind and he relaxes into there hold.  
  
They welcome him into their cold world, twist and twin around him as if to keep him safe. They are his and he is theirs, he feels like he belongs for the first time in such a long time and wants this. He doesn't want the living, the living brings him pain in a bad way. They hurt him not only with knives or fists but with words and greed. They want to take him away and only use him when they want, like some attack dog on a chain.   
  
The not living only want him for him. At first, they had wanted to take everything and now he can tell them how much he will give them. Now they have to listen and he wants to stay in this world he controls, this world of the ghosts that can't hurt him unless he says.   
  
  
Hands cup his face, cold yet sold and his face is tilted to look into blue eyes. Gentle eyes that calm the storm inside him and bring all his focus onto the man.  
  
"KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS. KLAUS."  
  
"Love, you with me. I need you to calm down for me sweetheart."  
  
Something's not right. Dave and he shouldn't be almost eyes level, but that doesn't matter right now.  
  
"I won't let them take you from me." He tells Dave.  
  
Dave is his and he would rather destroy the world then let Dave go again.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere. Come sit down with me."  
  
He likes that idea, likes the idea of curling up around Dave and keeping him safe. His feet touch the ground and now he's looking up as a cold hand's grips his and he's guided to the couch and into Dave's lap.  
  
His eyes flick around the room to see Ben in front of them and solid ghosts standing, swaying on spot like enchanted cobras waiting to strike. They are all surrounding Luther and Allison's chair. He can almost feel a smile at the fragment screaming right behind the couch.  
  
"Let them go love. Ben is right there and you've told me how amazing he is at keeping you safe."  
  
Klaus nods and flicks his fingers releasing his hold on them.  
  
"Leave this room."  
  
He doesn't bother to check, just turns to see if Dave is pleased with him.  
  
Dave is smiling at him until Dave turns and Klaus doesn't like it so he sees what has Dave's attention.  
  
Ben now sits next to them, they're talking but he can't tell what they are saying. It's all a little fuzzy.  
  
He watches Dave, talk to the other. He doesn't care what is being said as long as Dave stays here. Stays right where he can keep his Dave safe.   
  
  
He wakes in bed, not quite sure how he got there but it's not the first time that's happened.

'Did you sleep well, love?'

He smiles at Dave who is laying next to him.  
  
"Yes, though I don't remember going to bed."

'That's because Diego carried you to bed. It was quite amusing to watch.'

"That's not fair. Was if fireman's or princess's carry."

'Princess. Ben would have but you’re a little too tall for him.'

"And I missed out on it."  
  
Dave chuckles.

'Maybe later I will princess carry you.'

"Deal, now what did I miss because I got to say the last thing I remember was heading into the room and no one wishing me a good morning, after that it all gets a little fuzzy."

'Luther said some not very well thought out things. You pulled in all the ghosts in the house scaring almost everyone in the room. Though Five looked more excited. You levitated or at least that's what Five called it.'

"I what now."  
  
Klaus sat up in bed looking at Dave, who just lay there smiling.  
  
"I can't do that."

'Beautiful, you did. You came to rest at just above eye level with me. While I talked you down, Ben got everyone to settle down. Then Ben lost his temper and told Luther to stop being so scared.'

"I'm sure Ben wasn't that polite."

'No, he wasn't. Once I got you all calmed down, which by the way you are so cute when you are like that. We talked and came up with an idea that is completely up to you if you want to take it up or not.'

He frowned not sure if he liked where this was going.

'Ben had the most say because he knows more about your power than anyone else. I remembered that you told me about when you were twelve and you broke your jaw. How it was your first real-time experiencing silence thanks to the pain and sleeping medication.'

He nodded.

'The idea is that you take something just to help you sleep through the night. We're thinking of trying types of teas first and if that doesn't work then a sleep aid of some kind. Just till you stop trying reach out to me in your sleep and bring the rest of the ghosts with me.'

Dave reached out and rested his hand over his cheek.

'I just don't want you hurting your self by doing too much.'

It warmed him, the love he could see in Dave's eyes. How much Dave was looking out for him almost made his ache.  
  
"Ok."  
  
His hands flickered blue as he leant down and kissed him.  
  
Bring what the future may, Dave was here loving him and that's all that mattered.


End file.
